Agitating mechanism



1937- H. E.'PRES'TON 2,089,423

AGITATING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 16, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l H. E; PRESTON AGITATING MECHANISM Aug. 10, 1937.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 16, 1935 III 72/6/2221 gym! 5 Has/012 Patented Aug. 10, 1937 AGITATING MECHANISM Herbert E. Preston, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to American Engineering Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application August 16, 1935, Serial No. 36,513

8 Claims. (Cl. 25938) This invention relates to agitating mechanisms and more particularly to the agitating mechanisms employed in the fuel hoppers of stoker furnaces.

One object of the present invention is to provide a generally improved agitating mechanism which is operated directly by the fuel feeding elements of a mechanical stoker.

Another and more specific object is to provide agitating levers in the fuel hopper of a stoker furnace adjacent each of the main fuel feeding rams thereof and to oscillate said levers by mechanism connected directly to said rams, to prevent arching of the fuel in the hopper and thus insure at all times a uniform distribution of the fuel fed to the stoker by said rams.

Other and further objects will become apparent as the description of the invention progresses. Of the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevational view partly in section of the front end of a stoker furnace showing my improved agitating mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view taken substantially along line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevational view of the front end of the stoker taken substantially along line 33 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevational view taken through a fuel hopper, showing an agitating mechanism of a modified type.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates generally a stoker which comprises in the present instance a series of fuel feeding rams 2 operating in cylinders 3 mounted adjacent the outer side of the front wall 4 of the furnace. Each ram 2 is hollow in construction and has pivotally connected internally thereof one end of a link 5, the other end of which is pivotally connected to the upper arm 6 of a three-arm lever l pivoted on a shaft 8 mounted in a bracket 9 secured in any suitable manner to the front end of the cylinders 3 and the supports Hi therefor. Another arm ll of lever i has pivotally connected thereto the lower end of a link !2, the upper end of which being pivotally connected to a crank shaft 53 constituting the drive shaft of the stoker. Crank shaft I3 is operated by any suitable power mechanism indicated generally at M.

Each ram cylinder 3 is secured to the front wall 4 of the furnace in any suitable manner and has an opening l5 provided at the upper end thereof which communicates with a discharge opening I 6 of a fuel hopper ll. The substantially flat alternately disposed fuel supporting portions l8 of the hopper rest upon the flat lateral extensions E9 of the cylinders 3 and bolts 20 or other suitable securing means extending through these portions, and extensions rigidly secure the hopper in position.

The left hand end (Fig. 1) of each cylinder 3 communicates with an opening 2i provided in the front wall 4 which constitutes the inlet to the fuel retorts of the stoker (not shown). Thus upon each reciprocation of the rams 2 predetermined quantities of fuel gravitating in the cylinders 3 from hopper I! are fed to the stoker.

It frequently happens that arching of the fuel occurs over the discharge openings of the hopper which prevents a free movement of the fuel into the cylinders upon recession of the feeding rams. Unequal quantities of fuel are therefore fed to the stoker, and as a result the efficiency thereof is not only impaired, but damage to the grates may also occur. The present invention contemplates an improved agitating mechanism which prevents the formation of such arches and insures proper movement of the fuel from the hopper to the feeding mechanism under all conditions of operation.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, it will be observed that a series of hell crank levers 22 are mounted near the bottom of the hopper. These levers are arranged in pairs and comprise an agitating arm 23 extending substantially parallel to one side of the corresponding discharge openings, and an operating arm 24. The levers 22 are pivotally supported upon bearing portions 25 integral with and extending outward of the front wall 1'! of hopper l1. These levers are pivotally held in position on said bearing portions by means of bolts 26, and washers 2'! are disposed between said levers and the head portion of the bolts to provide an upper bearing surface for said levers. Arms 23 extend through slots 28 provided in wall ll and are provided with vertical flanges 29 to increase the agitating effect thereof. The inner ends of each pair of arms 24 are provided with bayonet slots 30 which overlap in registering relation. The slotted ends of these arms extend between the bifurcations 3| of the inner end of an operating rod 32 supported for reciprocatory movement in a bearing 33 provided at the outer flanged end 34 of cylinder 3. The outer end of rod 32 is also bifurcated and has provided therein a pair of elongated slots 35 which receive the opposite ends of a pin 36 mounted at the upper end of an arm 31. The upper end of arm 31 extends between these bifurcations as shown more particularly in Fig. 2, and. a pair of lock nuts 38 secured to the ends of pin 36 hold the parts in operative position. The lower end 39 of arm 31 is bent through an angle of substantially ninety degrees and is secured to the outer end of ram 2, as shown in Fig. 2, by screws 40, or any other suitable fastening means.

It therefore is apparent that upon reciprocation of the rams the agitating levers 22 will be oscillated about their pivotal supports to prevent archrocating rods 48 similar to the levers" 22 previous-1 ly described. Levers M and 42 also are provided with flanged portions 49; which increase the efiectiveness of the device. Thus upon reciprocation of the rams, levers M and 32 will be simultaneously operated.

This construction is particularly desirable in the larger hopper constructions, especially when damp or powderous fuels are employed. Such fuels have a greater tendency to pack into solid masses than other fuels, and obviously require more agitation to insure proper movement there of.

While the embodiments herein described are admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited thereto since it may be embodied in other forms, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a cylinder, of a feeding ram operative in said cylinder, a hopper having a discharge opening communicating with said cylinder, said discharge opening being so disposed that upon recession of said ram, fuel from the hopper will gravitate into said cylinder, a lever pivotally mounted for transverse movement above and to one side of said discharge opening for agitating the fuel in said hopper, and means operatively connecting said lever to said ram.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a cylinder, of a'fuel feeding ram operative in said cylinder, a hopper having a discharge opening communicating with said cylinder,

agitating means provided in said hopper comprising one or more oscillatory levers, an actuating arm secured to said levers, reciprocatory means operatively connected to said arms for oscillating said levers, and means operatively connecting said recip-rocatory means to said ram, said last mentioned means including a lost motion connection for limiting the oscillatory movement of said levers.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a cylinder, of a feeding ram operative in said cylinder, a hopper mounted above said cylinder and having a discharge opening communicating with said cylinder; said discharge opening being so disposed that upon recession of the ram fuel from said hopper will gravitate into said cylinder, agitating means provided in said hopper comprising a pair of vertically spaced levers, an actuating arm provided on one of said levers, reciprocat'ory means operatively connected to said arm for oscillating said lever, and means operatively connecting said reciprocatory means to said ram.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with a cylinder, of a feeding ram operative in said cylinder, a, hopper mounted above said cillating said levers, and means operatively connecting said reciprocatory means to said ram,

said last mentioned means including a lost motion connection for limiting the oscillatory movement of said'levers.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a series of cylinders, of a fuel feeding ram operative in each of said cylinders, a hopper disposed above said cylinders having a series of discharge openings provided in the bottom thereof, one of said discharge openings communieating with each of said cylinders, supporting means for the fuel provided in the bottom of said hopper between said discharge openings, a front wall for said hopper, a plurality of agitating members extending through said front Wall and overlying said fuel supporting means, means for pivotally supporting said members for transverse movement exteriorly of said front wall, and means operatively connecting said agitating members to said rams.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with a cylinder, of a fuel feeding ram operative in said cylinder, a hopper having a discharge opening communicating with said cylinder, a front wall for said hopper, one or more horizontally disposed agitating members extending through said wall and lying adjacent said dis-- charge opening, means for pivotally supporting said members for transverse movement, an. operating arm for each of said membersdisposed exteriorly of said front wall, and means operatively connecting said operating arms to said ram.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with a cylindeiyof a fuel feeding ram operative in said cylinder, a hopper having a discharge opening communicating with said cylinder, a front wall for said hopper, one or more horizontally disposed oscillatory members extending through said front wall and lying adjacent said discharge opening, means for pivotally supporting said members for transverse movement, an actuating arm for each of said oscillatory members disposed eXteriorly of said front wall, recip rocatory means operatively connected to said arms, and means operatively connecting said reciprocatory means to said ram.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination with a cylinder, of a fuel feeding ram operative in said cylinder, a hopper having a discharge opening communicating with said cylinder, a front wall for said hopper, a pair of vertically spaced and horizontallydisposed agitating levers extending into said hopper and lying adjacent said discharge opening, means for pivotally supporting said levers for transverse movement, an operating arm secured to one of said leversand disposed exterio'rly of said front wall, and ineans operatively connecting said operating arm to said ram, whereby upon operation of the latter an oscillatory movement is imparted to said agitating levers. Y I a HERBERT E. PRESTON. 

